Economizes



A. C. SCHLEH Jan. 2, 1934.,

ECONOMIZER Filed May 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Albert C. Schleh Patented Jan. 2, 1934 PATENT GFFlfiE ECONOMIZER Albert C. Schleh, St. Paul, Minn.

Application May 29, 1933. Serial No. 673,432

10 Claims.

My invention relates to economizers and has for its object to provide an economizer by means or which the waste heat in the fiue gas of heat-- ing plants may be utilized to heat air for circulation in rooms of buildings and for the purpose of evaporating water to humidity such air.

An object of the invention resides in providing an economizer of such type which will be highly efiicient in operation and which will not appreciably impair the flow of the flue gas or the flow of the heated air.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the economizer with a case having spaced partitions therein providing chambers atithe ends of the case and in further providing cylindrical ducts between said partitions for bringing said chambers into communication with one another, s'aidducts being arranged to fomi reentrant angles between one another.

An object of the invention resides in providing a deflector adapted to be inserted in the re-' entrant angle between two of said ducts for causing the gas passing about the ducts to follow closely along the surface thereof.

Another object of the invention resides in mounting the deflector for movement in and out of said reentrant angle to adjust the course of the flue gas in passing about the ducts.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the deflector in the form of a plate and in pivotally mounting said deflector to: swing into and out of the reentrant angle.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the case with an opening opposite the reentrant angle between the ducts and in provid-' ing a closure for closing said opening.

A still further object of the invention resides in mounting the deflector on said closure.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the deflector with a slot and in providing an adjusting screw having a disl; on the end thereof for engagement with said slot by means or" which the deflector may be swung upon its axis.

Another object of the invention resides in the specific construction of the deflector.

A still further object of the invention resides in the specific construction of the closure.

An object or" the invention resides in spacing two of the ducts with respect to one another and in providing a baflle between them for connecting the same and for directing the flue gas about the other ducts. V

A still further object of the invention resides in constructing said baffle with a shelf and with side walls extending up to the case and to the .and/ or described.

upper partition to form in conjunction therewith a pocket in which heated flue gas may be directed.

An object of the invention resides in constructing the upper partition of the economizer to provide a pan in which water may be placed and in arranging said pan to maintain water over the pocket formed in said passageway.

A feature of the invention resides in the specific construction by means of which the ducts are attached to the partitions of the economizer. Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated 7 In the drawings:

Fig. I is a side elevational view or an economizer illustrating an embodiment of my invention and showing a portion of the case cut away to illustrate the interior construction of the economizer.

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional View taken through the adjusting mechanism of one of the deflectors and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view showing, the method of attaching the duct to the partition of the case.

Fig. 8 is a view' similar to Fig. 7 showing the construction of one of the closures for the case.

In the use of economizers having a plurality of circular ducts it has heretofore been impossible to cause the fiue gas to circulate about said ducts and to uniformly heat the entire surfaces thereof. In such construction considerable difliculty is encountered in cleaning the economizer and in ,0 the out, rear and end v: and which is consfiructed with 2 1-. These flanges hold the partitions spaced form part of the joint between the partitions and ducts. Within the various ducts at both ends thereof are provided sleeves walls a top 5 -J w rich snugly within the interiors of said lots and vhlch are welded thereto. These hrough the circular lips 43 and :8 of said sleeves are turned is to clamp the said ducts in 0 the two partitions 23 and 24. By

e to the said partitions and the parare held L tached to the wall structure the case proper.

the arrangement or" parts thus shown, the upper partition 23 between the various ducts and the 11s of the case, forms a pan which is pose of providing humitification as -ntly described in detail. By means e d Acts and casing and the partitions ex- 1 a passageway to. The flue gas eat is to be procured is passed --ageway 49 While the air to which t "o be ti ansferred passes through the ducts 39, 40, i1 and 4.2. For the purpose to he heated into the econo" t is provided which is attached o of hood 19, and which is in coms as. l. n with the chamber 48. A si with an is attached to the-top of hood 1'? ip and is communication with the chamber 47. .e Conduit is connected to the cold air return of the room whose is to be heated while conduit 51 is connected to a warm air pipe adapted to d er the heated air to the desired locality. ous ducts are heated through the flue and into chamber 47. From 47 the air is delivered through the conduit 51 to desired locality.

For conducting the flue gas into and out of the passageway 49, a pipe 52 is employed which connected to the front wall 12 of case near he upper end of the same. A similar pipe 53 is connected to the rear wall 13 of case. Both these pi; es communicate with the passageway To prevent the flue gas from short circuits the econ .nizer, a baffle 54 i employed .l h is disposed between the two conduits i9 ii. The 54. is of considerable width and GE s the two conduits and 41 are spaced to receive This hailie may be attached to sa d conduits through coinplemental angles hich are secured to said conduit to 69 bottom 3 on oaiile 54: constructed of sheet he eaten is no to a short distance of the underon. side of the p ion 23. t such local y the "Q l. terior oi. is tent to form a shelf to which extends four cy ducts 39, rearwardly toward the rear wall 13 of case A const l at a locality i lznediately above the pipe 53. betheen the At the sides of this shelf are provided walls 57 titions LS which extend upwardly from iheet rear wall 13 and the partition 23.

with ps 43 walls are tangent to the walls of the ducts lips a continuation ducts ore flanges 41 and form a pocket 59 at the central econ In this manner the part of the partitioi 23 immediately above pocket 59 is mainformed on the opposite sides of the ducts.

tained at the highest temperature in the economizer. The ducts 39-40 and the ducts 4142 may be arranged closer together than the ducts 40-41. In such case .the space between said ducts may be closed through pairs of angle members and 61 which are attached to the said ducts and which abut against one another. By means of this construction the pasageway 49 extends continuously about the various ducts. This passageway divides at the baiiie 54, one branch extending to the right and about ducts 41 and 42, the other branch extending to the left and about ducts 46-39. Both of these branches of the passageway meet on the opposite side of the baiile 54 where they directly communicate with the pipe 53 and bring the flue gas to the smoke pipe leading to the chimney.

For the purpose of cleaning the interior of the case A, the front and rear walls 12 and 13 thereof are constructed with openings indicated at 62 in Figs. 1 and 8, which openings are disposed 0pposite the pairs of ducts 39 and 40 and 41 and 42. At the edges of the openings 62 the front and rear walls 12 and 13 of case A are provided outwardly extending flanges 66. The openings 62 are adapted to be closed by closures 64, each of which consists of an outer wall 65 which overlies said openings and which seat against the flanges 66 formed on the front andrear walls of the case. The walls 65 are formed with beveled edges 67 which extend up to the outer surfaces of the walls 12 and 13. Upon the inner surface of the outer wall 65 of said closure are provided liners 68 which are constructed with flanges 69 abutting against the same. These flanges fit within the flanges 66 and assist in forming a gas tight .jcint between the said closures and the case proper. The liners may be attached tothe closures by bolts, rivets or otherwise, which con- ;struction has not been shown. Within the interior of the case A is provided a rectangular frame 70, there being one such frame for each of the openings 62. These frames are riveted to the front and rear walls and project inwardly into said openings the same serving as abutments for engagement with the liner 68. Suitable screws 71 pass through both the outer wall 65 and the liner 68 which screws are threaded into the frame and serve to hold the closures rigidly attached to. the case in a manner to provide a gas tight joint therebetween.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that the ducts 39 and 4-0 and the ducts 41 and 42 are so arranged that reentrant angles 72 and '73, 77 and '76 are formed between the same. heretofore been encountered in causing the flue gas to enter these angles of the gas passageway, resulting in a higher stack temperature than desired. To cause the flue gas to follow about the surfaces of the ducts, deflectors 74 and 75 are employed which are disposed in certain of these angles. For the purpose of simplicity, deflectors have been shown only in angles '72 and '73, though similar deflectors may also be used in angles '76 and 77 which are The construction of the various deflectors bein identical, only the deflector 74 will be described, which is shown in detail in Fig. 6. This deflector consists of a plate '78 which is constructed of sheet metal and extends vertically within the passageway 49. Near the middle of said plate is provided an offset 79 and at the end of said plate is formed a lip 80 which extends outwardly therefrom and which serves to stiffen and reinforce Considerable difiiculty has the same. At the edge of the plate 78 is provided a hinge 81 which is secured to the liner 68 of closure 64 and by means of which the plate may swing from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 to the position shown in dotted lines in said flgure. The plate '78 may be swung from one position to the other through an adjusting screw 181 which is mounted for rotation with respect to the closure 64. This screw is threaded into a plate 82 which is welded or riveted to the liner 68 of closure 64. A sleeve 83 encircles this screw and is disposed between said liner and the outer wall 55 of said closure. Upon the exterior of the outer wall 65 is provided a nut 84 which is also threaded upon the screw 181 and by means of which the said screw may be locked in position. A finger piece 85 is attached to the end of the adjusting screw 181 by means of which the same may be manipulated. Upon the end of the screw 181 and within the passageway 49 is disposed a disk 86 which is firmly secured to said screw. This disk is adapted to enter the slot 87 in the oifset portion 79 of plate 78. When the screw 181 is moved inwardly, said disk shifts the deflector plate 78 toward its full line position and when the screw 181 is moved outwardly, the deflector plate 78 is shifted to the position shown in dotted lines. By means of this construction the deflector plate can be arranged to cause the flue gas to travel about the surfaces of the various ducts of the economizer or the same can be permitted to travel directly along the front and rear walls of the case without entering completely into the reentrant angles formed between the ducts. In an installation where the draft is poor, the deflector plates '28 are adjusted to a position more nearly approaching that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Where the draft is suiiicient, the plates may be swung as shown in full lines, causing the air to be more completely heated and the greater percentage of the heat secured from the flue gas as the same passes through the economizer.

For the purpose of distributing the air entering the economizer through inlet conduit 50, two distributor plates 86 and. 89 are employed which extend across the two walls 22 of hood l9 and extend up to the partition 24 at localities intermediate the two sets of ducts 39-40 and 41-42. These partitions further extend up to the conduit 56. By means of these plates the air is divided, part going to each of the several ducts and heated in its passage upwardly through said duct.

My econoniizer in addition to absorbing heat from the flue gases of the heating plant operates to humidify the air passing through the device. For this purpose the partition 23 is constructed to form a pan 93 which is accomplished by turning up the edges of the same at the marginal portions thereof to form the flanges 25 and about the Va ric-us openings through which the ducts 39, 40, 41 and 42 extend to form the flanges 43. This pan is constructed with a depression 90 at the center immediately above the pocket 59. The water is brought into the pan formed in partition 23 through a water controlling device 91 connected to a suitable water pipe 92. The device 91 includes an ordinary float and a valve operated thereby by means of which the level of the water within the pan 93 may be maintained at such elevation as to not overflow the upper edges of the various flanges of the same. ue to the pocket 59 the depressed portion'9i) of the pan is maintain d at a particularly high temperature so that evaporation at this locality is always certain to occur. By means of the construction described, the heat from the flue gas is caused to humidify the air entering chamber 47 prior to its removal from the economizer through the conduit 51. The water controlling device 91 maintains the water at the proper level in pan 93 so that as the water is evaporated additional water added to replace the same.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The flue gas enters the passageway 49 through the pipe 52 and strikes the baiiie 54. The gas then divides, part passing to the right and part passing to the left, the portions of the gas thus traveling passing about the various ducts 39, iii, 41 and 42. On the opposite side of the case A the parts of the line gas again unite and pass outwardly through the pipe 53. The air in entering the economiser through the conduit 50 is divided through the plates 88-89 and part of the same passes through each or" the various ducts 39, 40, ii and 42. During such travel of the air the same is heated. The heat from the flue also heats the partition 23 which causes the water in pan 93 to evaporate. The air on entering chamber 7 is mixed with the steam and water vapor disposed within said charm -er and liberated from pan 93 and leaves the economizer through conduit 51 in a humidified condition.

My invention is highly advantageous in that an extremely simple and practical construction is provided whereby the heat ordinarily wasted in flue gases may be utilized. lhe device is adapted to be used for heating the air of rooms and operates to efficiently transfer a large part of the wasted heat to such air. By means of the humidifying apparatus shown, the air prior to its leaving the economizer is provided with sufficient humidity. Due to the construction of the pocket for hot flue gases below the humidifying pan, sufficient heat is always provided at such locality to cause evaporation regardless of whether or not sufficient heat is available to cause evaporization over the entire surface of the pan. By means of the deflector plates the flue gas can be caused to travel in close proximity to the entire surface of the various conduits thereby procuring greater efficiency. By means of the adjusting mechanism the deflector plates can be adjusted so as to cause rate of flow of flue gases desired, depending upon the chimney conditions and the type and construction of the heating plant.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope or" what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, and a deflector carried by said case and extending into said reentrant angle, said deflector having a surface extending substantially in the same direction as the direction of extent of the surface of one of said ducts at said reentrant angle.

2. an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, a deflector plate pivoted to said case and being adapted to swing into the space defined by said reentrant angle to a position substantially parallel with the portion of one of the ducts at said angle and to swing into a position substantially parallel with the general direction of extent of said passageway at such locality.

3. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, a deflector movably mounted within said case and means for guiding said deflector for movement into and out of said reentrant angle.

i. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, said case having a clean-out opening disposed therein in proximity to said reentrant angle, a closure for said opening and a deflector carried by said closure and extending into said reentrant angle.

5. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, a deflector plate pivoted to said case upon the interior thereof, said deflector plate having a slot therein, an adjusting screw threaded in said case and extending therethrough, said adjusting screw having a disk thereon for engagement with said slot by means of which the plate may be swung into or out of said reentrant angle upon rotation of said screw.

6. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, a deflector plate pivoted to said case upon the interior thereof, said deflector plate having an offset portion formed with a slot therein, an adjusting screw threaded in said case and extending therethrough and a disk on said adjusting screw for engagement with said slot.

7. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a cylindrical duct extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into corniunication, said duct having an outwardly turned flange at one end for engagement with one of said partitions, a sleeve disposed within said end of the duct and secured thereto, a flange formed on said partition and following along said sleeve, said sleeve having an edge turned over the outer end of said partition flange to hold the duct attached to said partition.

8. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a reentrant angle therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, said case having an opening therein opposite said reentrant angle, a flange extending outwardly from said case about said opening, a closure for said opening, said closure comprising an outer wall adapted to seat upon the edge of said flange and formed with beveled edges extending up to said case, a liner upon the inner surface of said closure, said liner being spaced from said closure and being formed with flanges engaging said closure, said flanges being received within the flanges of said case.

9. In an economizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the ends of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged in a row, two of the intermediate of the ducts being spaced from one another, a bafile disposed between said intermediate ducts, said case being constructed to form in conjunction with said ducts and baffle a flue gas passageway extending about said ducts, a shelf extending outwardly from said bafile and spaced from one of said partitions, side walls disposed between said case, a baffle, partition and shell to form a pocket therein, said partition being constructed to provide a receptacle for water adapted to be heated through gas entering said pocket.

10. In an econcmizer, a case, spaced partitions in said case forming chambers at the end of the case, a plurality of juxtaposed cylindrical ducts extending between said partitions and bringing said chambers into communication, said ducts being arranged to form a space therebetween, said case forming in conjunction with said ducts a passageway extending about said ducts, and an elongated deflector of a width less than the diameter of the ducts carried by a wall of said case parallel with said ducts, said deflector extending in the same direction as said ducts and projecting into said space, said deflector being free from the case and ducts at its inner end.

ALBERT C. SCHLEH. 

